NUALS PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE 2014
The NUALS Parliamentary Debate 2014, organised by the Interdisciplinary Centre for Social Justice, NUALS is an annual Parliamentary Debating Competition.
The format followed by the debate is the all Asian 3 on 3 Style where the N+1 rule applies.
The first edition of the debate revolves around the theme of Social Justice and is scheduled to take place from the 10th to 12th of October, 2014 at the National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) Kochi.
Email: nualspd@gmail.com
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INTERDISCIPLINARY CENTRE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE, NUALS
The Centre intends to study and research on laws and policies of socially and educationally backward classes and minorities in India. The centre will address the constitutional mandate to create an egalitarian society and also focus on commitment towards the rights of the downtrodden as enshrined in the Constitution of India.
The Constitution of India provides social, political, and economic justice for all. To this end the constitution has several provisions to protect scheduled castes and scheduled tribes and to improve their position. Article 21 guarantees the right to life and liberty. The Indian Supreme Court has interpreted this right to include the right to be free from degrading and inhuman treatment, the right to integrity and dignity of the person, and the right to speedy justice. When read with Article 39A on equal justice and free legal aid, Article 21 also encompasses the right to legal aid for those faced with imprisonment and those too poor to afford counsel.
Practice of caste based discrimination, violence against SC/ST, women and children are in violation of numerous domestic and international law. The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) and the Human Rights Committee (HRC), monitoring bodies under the United Nations International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, respectively, have both expressed concern over the severe social discrimination still practiced against members of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. Both committees have also recommended measures that can be taken to ameliorate the situation. As a party to these treaties, India is obligated to comply with their provisions.
The full enjoyment of their civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights enshrined in the Constitution, a continuing campaign needs to be undertaken to educate the Indian population on human rights, in line with India’s constitution and with universal human rights instruments, including the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. Hence NUALS as a national law university needs to focus on pro active roles to eliminate all forms of discrimination. With the facilities and resources available, NUALS is in a position to impart qualitative technical support and assistance in training and create a platform to discuss the issues relating to all forms of discrimination and administration of justice.
In this light, it is proposed that a research centre with the name ‘Interdisciplinary Centre for Social Justice be established in the National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Kochi to encourage research and development in the field of Constitutional obligations towards the empowerment of socially and economically backward classes, especially the scheduled caste and scheduled tribes.
OBJECTIVES OF THE CENTRE:
The Centre is proposed to be established with the intention of providing best qualitative national level academic centre in terms of research and development with the financial support of government agencies/departments. In future, the Centre could also function as Special Cell for SC and ST in the University as per the UGC scheme.
The objective of the Centre is to conduct research and study on laws and its implementation for the empowerment of socially and educationally backward classes especially Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes as enshrined in the Constitution and create an egalitarian society. Further, it also aims to equip students and employees belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to compete with the rest of the society.
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THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF
ADVANCED LEGAL STUDIES (NUALS), KOCHI
ADVANCED LEGAL STUDIES (NUALS), KOCHI
The National University of Advanced Legal Studies (hereinafter ‘NUALS’) was established by Act 27 of 2005 of the Kerala Legislative Assembly to advance and disseminate learning and knowledge of law and legal process, to develop scholarship and a sense of responsibility towards society and to promote legal and judicial reforms to strengthen the administration of justice in India. The Chief Justice of India is the Visitor, the Chief Justice of Kerala High Court is the Chancellor and the Minister for Education, Kerala State is the Pro-Chancellor of the University. Presently, Dr. Sheena Shukkur is the Vice-Chancellor-in-charge.
The NUALS Campus is situated in a 10 acre campus at KINFRA Hi-Tech Park at Kalamassery, Kochi, the industrial capital of Kerala and the seat of the Kerala High Court. At present the Academic Block, Hostels for Boys and Girls, Amenities Centre and Faculty Apartments are operational. The newly constructed Administrative Block and Library Building, with assistance from the UGC and State Government are awaiting inauguration. The NUALS campus provides adequate academic infrastructure. It has dedicated faculty and administrative staff. The collection in the Library of NUALS is vast with 30 number of Law Reports, more than 10,000 number of books, 15 number of periodicals and journals. It has dedicated internet access, Wi-Fi Connectivity, on-line legal resources including Heinonline, Westlaw India and Manupatra, a computer lab, besides a good collection of standard books and reports, both foreign and Indian.
The NUALS provides unmatched opportunities to study law and related disciplines in a rigorous and collaborative environment. Courses are offered on frontier areas of law such as maritime transaction, Space law, fisheries law, forensic sciences and telecommunications law etc. Continuing legal education is also an objective of the University. In order to make the study of law relevant to social needs and to encourage focused research, the University has already established 10 centres including the Interdisciplinary Centre for Social Justice.
All these centres are functioning effectively and are contributing towards quality legal education and research. Every year the above centres conduct national seminars, training programmes and workshops to targeted groups on new developments in the frontier of law, field study etc. It has also undertaken several initiatives to bring legal radiance to the masses like conducting legal awareness classes, surveys, legal aid camps with active participation from the State Legal Services Authority (KELSA). Thus, NUALS is ideally placed to be accorded with the responsibility of opening up this interdisciplinary centre for Social Justice.